As promised, here is the next post on the original Thundercats! I know it is overdue, but this has been a wild and wacky year for everyone. There were days when this blogger just could not find the time or the energy to write, which meant the posts she was supposed to write got shoved onto the back-burner.
But we are here now, so let’s celebrate! Today’s subject is Jaga the Wise, the mentor and surrogate father figure for Lion-O, the young Lord of the Thundercats. The court adviser and magician, Jaga was the only person outside of the royal family who could wield the Eye of Thundera and the Sword of Omens’ full power. It is never explained why this is so, but given how much magic he possessed, it does make some sense.
Of course, it is just as possible that Jaga was somehow related to the royal family. Though he is supposed to be based on the jaguar, to this blogger’s eye, Jaga has always had a more leonine appearance. Since he and the other Thundercats were of the nobility, and nobility regularly intermarries with royalty, this writer’s theory might have some weight. What makes her theory somewhat more plausible is when one considers the 2011 series, where Lion-O’s ancestor Leo was in love with a female panther. Thus intermarriage among the various upper echelons of Thunderan society only makes sense, from both a historical and a narrative position.
Regardless of how he was able to wield the Sword of Omens so effectively, the fact is that Jaga could do it. Even so, we only saw him wield the Sword in flashback; during the first episode – “Exodus” – Jaga has no visible weapon. We never see him physically engage with the Mutants, but since he was running around the ship, it seems safe to assume he did some fighting. He was certainly impressed that a twelve-year-old Lion-O could use the Sword after almost dropping it some minutes before vessel was attacked.
As the royal magician, it appears that Jaga was acting as regent for Lion-O when the final Thunderian refugee fleet fled the dying planet. He was the unquestioned commander of the flagship and he is the one who told the rest of the fleet to use evasive maneuvers. The fact that Panthro, Cheetara, and Tygra all answered to him without question only supports this idea.
Unfortunately, Jaga’s efforts to protect the Thunderian remnant traveling with Lion-O’s ship are not successful. As far as viewers can tell, the entire convoy is wiped out in a few minutes by the Mutants, who then board the lead vessel in an attempt to steal the Sword of Omens. They are repelled, of course, but they do enough damage that even Panthro cannot repair the ship to the point it can limp to the Thundercats’ original destination.
Neither can he make the ship do more than sputter in the direction of Third Earth. Jaga then demonstrates his wisdom by ordering the rest of the crew into the suspension capsules, so that they may live until they reach Third Earth. Due to his advanced years and the fact that the capsules only slow the aging process, not stop it, even if he were to use one himself Jaga will die by the time the ship lands. He says his good-byes to the rest of the crew, including a poignant farewell to his young king, then takes the helm as the others settle into hibernation.
Since this was the 1980s, the decade of Star Wars. While I do not have a problem with the Obi-Wan Kenobi effect per se, the fact that the writers made it so obvious for Jaga in “Exodus” does kind of tweak my desire for a more…original exit. That being said, it is not a bad send off for him, and it makes his subsequent ability to offer ghostly guidance more believable than it might be otherwise.
From this point on, Jaga only shows up as a spirit who winks in and out of view when he needs to impart moral advice to the young king. It is hard to tell if Lion-O is the only one who can see Jaga when he drops in, or if the other Thundercats can see him as well. Captain Shiner does not see him during the episode where the heroes first encounter the mercenary captain and Willa, leader of the Warrior Maidens, also does not seem to perceive Jaga’s ghost when she and Lion-O first meet. Though perhaps she did see him, and she just didn’t want to interrupt him. She never says anything that would let us make a definitive judgement either way, so that is left to conjecture.
After Lion-O “grows up” following the Anointment Trials, Jaga imparts moral advice a little less frequently than he used to. From that point onward he operates in the manner of a good court advisor and fatherly ghost, bringing Lion-O news of danger he would normally learn about too late to defend against. Though the young king and his former regent are temporarily reunited when Lion-O must rescue his mentor from a spirit dungeon, they never come into actual contact again during the rest of the series.
In many ways, the 2011 series did Jaga more favors than it did other Thundercats. He even had his position in the court firmly established this time around; the ambiguity around his original position is dispatched by the simple statement that he is the head of the clerics and, therefore, advisor to the Lord of the Thundercats. His super speed is a little hard for this writer to buy, but considering the writers nailed two out of three points, that qualifies as a minor annoyance that can be rectified with little trouble.
What has always been more annoying about the 2011 Jaga, for me, is the caste of clerics themselves. It is never stated just what their function in Thunderan society is. Are they religious clerics? Considering how Cheetara and, later, Wilykit offer moral guidance to Lion-O and the others, that seems to be the entire point of their existence. But we do not see them officiate a religious ceremony or attend to any other duty except to protect (or try to protect) the royal family.
If they were meant to be warrior or magician clerics, then that would have been a nice tidbit to learn. And it would not have taken the writers more than a couple of lines of dialogue or a few background scenes to clear that up. As it is, the most we see the clerics do is try to fight Mumm-Ra, only to die en masse in one enormous explosion. And why are they all blindingly fast, when there is only one Cheetah among them (that we can confirm, anyway)? In the original series, only Cheetahs could move with the speed the clerics demonstrate. So why do all the clerics, who are not of the same subspecies as Cheetara? If the answer is “magic,” that would have been nice to know while the series was on the air! Ugh….
Putting Jaga in charge of a group of warrior magician monks/nuns is not a bad idea. Not telling us what these magician monks/nuns are supposed to do, how they wield their magic (Cheetara specifically says some of Jaga’s magic flows through her – what?), and how they are all as fast as the speediest cat in the land IS bad. It leaves the entire system feeling slipshod and tacked on; if they had taken the time to explain what the heck the clerics were for and how they operated, it might have worked. As it is, to this blogger, it just felt like unnecessary baggage.
So while I can say that I liked the 2011 version of Jaga, I cannot say I enjoyed the manner in which they fit him into the universe. And that is not counting how they made him a ghost advisor to the young Lord of the Thundercats. Trapping his soul in a magic lamp to torture him into giving up information is not kosher, guys. Having the Lizards or the other Mutants kill him while Mumm-Ra gloats, only to be shocked when the Thunderan mage fades away – that would have worked much, much better.
But beggars can’t be choosers, right? Two out of three is not bad at all. For the most part, 2011 Jaga is a nice homage to the original 1980s character, and the writers deserve praise for that. He’s not perfect, but hey, neither is anyone else.
With luck, I will see you next week with a film review, readers. Until then: “Thunder…Thunder….
Once again we are back in the wild, wonderful deserts of planet Zi, readers! Yes, this writer promised to tackle more Thundercats characters in these Spotlight! posts this year. She intends to do that, when time permits, but there are other items which need to be discussed in this section first. Zoids is one of those things, especially since the sixth series in the franchise ended recently.
I have not had time to watch more than a few episodes of Zoids Wild Zero, but so far it looks like a real love letter to fans of Chaotic Century. The only thing which I feel compelled to complain about with regard to it is the new zoids’ size. Everyone wants something new as the years pass, so the change makes some sense, especially since the story takes place on Earth rather than Zi. Still, this blogger would be lying if she didn’t say she preferred the original models from the 1980s and the 1999/2000 “reboot” of the franchise brought on by Zoids: Chaotic Century.
In this blogger’s opinion there is just something more realistic, more believable, about the older zoid models. While machines tend to be streamlined the longer man tinkers on them (witness the evolution of the computer), the newer zoids in Wild Zero just appear too clean cut. As if they were meant to be spiffy rather than something you could imagine actually riding around in.
Granted, for some of the new zoids, this design works very well. For others, it leaves a fair bit for this fan to desire. But given how poor its predecessor shows Fuzors, Genesis, and Zoids Wild were, I am not in a position to complain overmuch. I may pine a bit for “the good old days,” but that’s it. Since the original creators of Zoids: Chaotic Century and Zoids: New Century Zero came back to produce Zoids Wild Zero, all I can do is lodge a few mild whimpers and get back to being happy that my favorite franchise is back on display.
Seguing from that rather convoluted introduction, we can turn to today’s topic: the Desert Alca Valino Gang. Mentioned in many a post on Zoids: Chaotic Century, the last detailed look we had at their members was the piece on Rosso and Viola. But while these two members had more to do in the story than the men they led, this does not mean those characters are worth ignoring.
In point of fact, I wish there had been some hints as to what happened to the rest of the Desert Alca Valino Gang after the last episode where they all appeared together. Though two members reappeared following that installment (titled “The Road to the Republic”), they vanished from the narrative following the events of the episode “Prozen’s Conspiracy.” Given how little we saw of them, this blogger has always regretted the lack of time and development they got onscreen.
So, without further ado, here are the other five members of the infamous Desert Alca Valino Gang:
Bole
Bole: The youngest and newest member of the group, Bole is actually the first gang member we meet. Having captured a wild blue Guysack prior to the start of the series, the cocky and demanding boy spots Van on one of his jaunts into the desert outside the Wind Colony, whereupon he immediately decides to make his life miserable. Chasing the unarmed boy who has to be at least two or three years his junior across the sand, Bole eventually corners him atop the wreck of a Gojulas attached by time and the desert to the ruins of an old military base.
Although Bole doesn’t manage to hit Van, his shots jar the wreck loose from its moorings, causing the dead Gojulas and some of the ruins to collapse on his Guysack. Too focused on Van to save himself, Bole is knocked out by the hit and his zoid is trapped. When he awakens two older members of the gang tell him off for “getting all excited over a stupid kid,” thereby wasting his time and theirs.
Bole does not have many lines after this, and we never see him again after “The Road to the Republic.” Throughout his appearances he has the air of a teen desperately trying to prove himself a man by any means necessary. But his lack of maturity and self-assured belief that he can bulldoze his way through any obstacle only demonstrates how far he still has to go. Despite being a hotheaded fourteen-year-old, Van displays a greater understanding of responsibility and more self-possession than Bole does during his early adventures than the blue-haired kid does in these episodes.
It must be said that Bole has something of a sadistic streak as well. Whether this is just an attempt to show how macho he is or it is a real character flaw remains up for debate, since we do not see him often enough to judge for certain. But considering his gleeful torture of Zeke after the latter saves Van from him, it can be argued that the he enjoyed others’ pain more than a little too much for comfort.
Nero
(Sorry for the binoculars, but there were no other good pix available!)
Nero: The second member of the gang, Nero is a big, black haired gronk whose initial defining characteristic is irritation. When we first see him in the opening episode, he is watching Bole chase Van all over the dunes. The younger gang member’s excitement over finally having a zoid and, thereby, the opportunity to prove himself to the rest of the group does not impress the older bandit. It only aggravates him. Even after he is reminded that Bole did not receive a zoid “from the boss,” as he did, Nero says something along the lines of, “I hear ya. But that still doesn’t justify getting excited over a stupid kid.”
Conversely, Nero shows an inordinate amount of delight when he fires on the ruins in order to trap Van inside them. He also takes a step back when Zeke resurrects the Shield Liger, giving the boy the ability to fight off the bandits. This instinct to retreat turns out to be well-founded as the inexperienced teenager manages to strike Nero’s Command Wolf, disabling its combat system so that it is “too stunned” to continue the battle. Along with Bole and another gang member, Nero is all too happy to retreat when the senior member of the three suggests they get out of Dodge.
Later, Nero relishes the idea of getting back at Van for this ignominous defeat. He doesn’t get many more opportunities to speak onscreen, and the few times we see him, we have to judge his thoughts by his expression. During the finale of “The Road to the Republic,” he can be seen with a remorseful and worried look on his face as Rosso disbands the Gang to prevent their capture by the Imperial Army. It appears, therefore, that he was particularly loyal to Rosso and may have left the Imperial military out of respect for him.
Since we don’t know why he, Rosso, Viola, and other members of the Gang were pushed out of the military, this is conjecture on my part. The Gang didn’t seem to be on a crusade, as they were more than happy to jump at the chance to get back in the Empire’s good graces. More than likely Nero was simply unhappy to see his leader and friend defeated, hinting that there may have been a more complex character under the Neolithic façade the bandit kept up in front of his fellows and his enemies.
Bianco in his Command Wolf
Bianco: Bianco is the third member of the Desert Alca Valino Gang to appear onscreen. Soft-spoken, level-headed, and long-suffering, based on Rosso and Viola’s regard for him I have always suspected he was third in the chain of command. From what we see of him, it seems that Rosso and Viola trusted him to keep the other men in line when they weren’t around, as well as lead any missions they couldn’t take on themselves.
During the first episode, Bianco shows sympathy for Bole’s eagerness to throw his newfound weight around in the Guysack. While accepting Nero’s criticism of their young compatriot, he reminds the bigger man that they “don’t want [Van] blabbing about seeing them out here” to the nearest village. When Nero cheerfully seals Van in his supposed tomb, Bianco chides him for exhibiting the behavior he criticized in Bole, before asking if he’s going to help dig the kid’s Guysack out of the rubble.
Seeing Zeke punch out of the ruins with Van on his back, Bianco immediately tags him as a potentially lucrative item worth stealing. He leads Nero against Van and his Shield Liger in order to acquire Zeke, telling the other bandit off for stepping backward and letting Van “psych [him] out.” “The Shield Liger is a high performance zoid,” he reminds Nero, “there’s no way a kid like that can control it properly!”
Bianco eats his words a moment later, as his Command Wolf is damaged by a lightning fast display of Van’s latent, native piloting skills. Though he holds a grudge against the boy for this defeat, he does so without the near-giddy anticipation in his voice that Nero demonstrates, or the vitriol expressed by Bole. In “The Protectors,” he does not fare well when he tries to strike Irvine, suggesting the latter is a better Command Wolf pilot than he is despite being younger than Bianco by some years.
After Viola, Bianco seems to be the most upset that Rosso is turning himself in to the Imperial Army to protect the Gang at the end of “Road to the Republic.” This may be why he is so jovial and relaxed when he reappears in “Prozen’s Conspiracy” than when we saw him previously. He also playfully ribs his commander in the manner of a close friend, even going so far as to tease the giant redhead about his relationship with Viola over the radio. (“How’s that date you’ve been hoping for working out?”)
Following his injury in battle with the operatives sent to kill the Crown Prince the same day the Gang kidnaps him, a bandaged Bianco logically sets out the reasons why he and his fellow bandit should be left behind by Rosso and Viola. Wounded worse than anyone else in the brief conflict, his ability to disappear and/or fight is severely limited by the amount of physical damage he sustained holding back the black ops soldiers sent to murder the Prince. It’s also possible he saw this as a way to repay Rosso for taking the fall for the team back in “Road to the Republic,” but that is a guess on my part and not a confirmed part of the story.
Overall, after Rosso and Viola, I would have to say that Bianco was the most likable member of the Desert Alaca Valino Gang. He was smart, sharp, sympathetic, and above all, loyal. If there was only one bandit the writers could have brought back, even briefly, for the second season of the series I would have asked them to show us what happened to Bianco. That guy did not get nearly enough screentime, and it is a crying shame his fate is left to fan imagination.
Welda
(Which should translate as “slime.”)
Welda: The most despicable member of the Gang, Welda (pronounced “Well-Day”) was a skirt chaser and something of a pervert. He hit on almost every woman or girl he met, the exceptions being Viola and Moonbay, likely because they would have had him curled up on the floor minutes after he tried to get his hands on them. Not that Rosso would have appreciated Welda going after Viola, either. Plus, attempts by soldiers to woo women with zero interest in them and who are above them in the chain of command is generally understood to be a bad idea no matter where one goes.
A chatterbox, Welda chides Viola for telling him and his fellow bandit to speed up their zoids’ pace before her Redler stalls. Reminding her that pushing their engines too far will burn them out, he ends up trying to get a response out of the silent member of the team. When the man doesn’t answer Viola suggests Welda learn to stop talking once in a while himself, leading him to blow her off with an irritated, “Yeah, yeah.”
When they arrive at the Wind Colony, Welda is only too happy to shoot holes in the ground with his zoid’s guns and scare the villagers. He also hits on and then kidnaps Van’s older sister, Maria, mostly because he thinks she’s cute. Although the villagers try to hand Zeke over to the Gang to get Maria back, Welda “changes his mind” and recaptures her. When he and the Gang are accused of lying, he replies cheerfully, “I just couldn’t bear to say goodbye, she’s such a pretty little thing. By the way, after we get the Organoid, we’re going to burn your village to the ground!”
It’s hard to say how much of the latter statement is true. At this point in the story, Rosso and Viola might not have thought anything of razing a Republican colony just because they could. And, while Viola didn’t appreciate Welda’s obviously lascivious interest in Maria, neither did she gainsay him. Granted, Zeke didn’t give her the time, but it still doesn’t speak well of her or the rest of the Gang’s moral standing at that point in the series.
The last time we see Welda (thankfully) is in “The Road to the Republic.” He helps capture Van and Moonbay – whom he does not attempt to hit on while onscreen –and stands ready with the rest of the group to await Irvine and Fiona’s arrival with Zeke. When Fiona is captured after jogging up to untie Van and Moonbay, he straight up says she’s “going to be a real knockout someday.” His words appear to fly completely over the young girl’s head, a blessing of her naïveté if ever there was one, and he is quickly distracted from saying more when he spots a non-chalant Irvine standing beside the bound Van and Moonbay.
We do not see or hear from Welda again after this, and honestly, he is the member of the Gang I miss least. The less seen or heard from him, the better – unless we were to be treated to a scene of Moonbay leaving him curled up on the floor crying. That might be worth his reappearance all by itself. 😀
Darn, can’t find his picture. Here’s a shot of the main cast instead.
Jaro: The third biggest and tallest member of the team, Jaro is described as “the strong, silent type.” Blond and sunburned, he says little but acts as a steady presence for the team. When he does speak, the rest of the Gang listens.
Along with Welda and Viola, Jaro assaults the Wind Colony to capture Zeke. He is surprised at Van’s skill like the rest of the Gang and follows his XO when she calls for a retreat. Welda whines about it while Jaro remains stoically silent.
He helps capture Van and Moonbay in “Road to the Republic,” but has no speaking lines here. One could be forgiven for thinking him a mute, since he refuses to speak. When he does talk in “The Fog at Iselina,” it’s something of a shock.
On the run with his XO following Rosso’s capture, Jaro takes the time to find out where Van and Co. are headed. Viola is shocked to find the answer is Mount Iselina, her home, and she fills a wondering Jaro in on the inhabitants and their way of life as they break camp. When the big guy suggests carpet bombing the place to get their revenge on the travelers, Viola countermands him and says she’ll do the strategizing for the mission.
Though he questions her decision not to annihilate the village, Jaro follows her orders nonetheless. His Pteras Striker is knocked out of the air by Van during the battle, so he only reappears at the episode’s finale to watch as Viola says goodbye to her sister. That probably answered any lingering questions he had about why she didn’t want to bomb the village to oblivion, and it may also explain why he did not press her when she refused to chase after Van again.
Jaro’s stoicism tones down some in “Prozen’s Conspiracy,” as he laughs at his commander’s expense following the prison breakout. Again, he does not say much until he backs up Bianco’s assertion that the two of them have to stay behind. The angry, quiet desperation in his voice is palpable, showing that he genuinely respects and cares about his commander and XO.
Aside from Bianco, Jaro is probably one of the Gang members who needed more development, if only because he didn’t talk much. There had to be a lot going on inside his head that we never saw or heard, since he largely kept to himself. It would not have been easy to illustrate his character under those restrictions, I guess, but talented writers like Takao Kato and the rest of the crew who worked on Chaotic Century could have pulled it off if they had had more time.
Well, that concludes this post on the Desert Alca Valino Gang! The next Spotlight! post should be a roaringly good piece, if I do say so myself, but I had to get these guys described before I tackled that character. They have been in Spotlight! limbo for too long, so it was time this author released them from the waiting room of her mind.
I hope you enjoyed this article and that it inspires you to take a look at one of the best mecha anime in history. With luck, I will be able to squeeze in another post about Zoids before the year is out. Until then –
It has been a long, long time since this author mentioned The Lion Guard. So long, in fact, that the show concluded in its third season and this blogger didn’t make a peep about it! While no one knows exactly why the program was shuttered, it appears that Disney decided to end the series in order to give precedence to the CGI remake of The Lion King. And before anyone asks, no, I did not go to see that movie. Why would I mess with perfection? 😉
The fact that they ended The Lion Guard so early is a disappointment on a number of levels, not least because there was a great deal about the characters and the world left to explore. Fans were most unhappy to see the series end and, while the marketing strategy (if there was one) might make sense, the net result is a group of displeased customers. Normally companies would wish to avoid this, but that doesn’t appear to be the case anywhere these days, sadly…..
It is also unfortunate that the finale for the series has received some backlash. In a show that had previously given boys their well-deserved due, the writers suddenly (Spoiler Alert!) gave command of the Pride Lands’ new Lion Guard to Vitani, Kovu’s older sister, and four lionesses who were her friends. This caused quite a stir in the fan base as many felt it was motivated solely by the writers’ desire to pander to the usual politically correct crowd. While that may have been the case it appears that the man in charge of the series – one Ford Riley – did his best to make the transfer a sensible one.
For those who did not follow The Lion King franchise and/or haven’t seen the movies in a while, Vitani is the older sister of Kovu, the cub chosen by Scar to be his heir. Exiled with her mother Zira, her brothers Nuka and Kovu, as well as the lionesses under Zira’s command, Vitani became her mother’s right…paw in the desert Outlands. As a young adult during The Lion King II: Simba’s Pride, Vitani is almost never apart from her mother. If she does separate from her it is only to carry out of one Zira’s commands because the crazed lioness trusts only her daughter to do the job properly.
But by the end of the film, Vitani finally stop’s being her mother’s shadow. She follows her younger brother Kovu in joining Simba’s pride, abandoning Zira and her cause. The last we see of Vitani in the film is when she, along with the rest of the pride, witnesses Kovu and Kiara’s marriage, followed by Simba’s declaration that they are his and Nala’s heirs to the throne. No more is known about what befalls Vitani after the credits role.
This is where The Lion Guard comes in. From the beginning of the series certain fans were critical of the show for introducing a character that had not been present in the original sequel to The Lion Guard. A number of fans disliked Kion, claiming that the series was “not canon” simply due to his existence. “Where were he and his friends when Zira attacked the Pride Lands in Simba’s Pride if he was supposed to be leader of the Lion Guard?” they asked.
Season three of the series answers this question, something this blogger and others knew it would. In large part, the series writers answered the question of Kion’s absence satisfactorily. The exception for many is the point where Vitani takes over the Guard after Kion leaves the Pride Lands to marry a queen and become king in a different part of the world. Due to the political correctness rampant thoughout fiction these days most viewers immediately jumped on this change, believing it to be more of the same.
Again, while this may be true, I doubt it was the only reason for the change in command structure. I suspected Kion would find a wife near the end of the series, and one of the more likely candidates for this position was Vitani herself. However, that pairing never felt quite right to me for a number of reasons – reasons which, conversely, make Vitani and her all-female Lion Guard fit within the universe quite well. So let’s take on this transfer of power by considering the Kion/Vitani romance idea first, shall we?
Matching Kion and Vitani romantically would not be easy or doable in the three seasons permitted for The Lion Guard for a number of reasons. The most important of these would be the fact that Vitani was taught to be the dominant member of any relationship in which she took part, especially with a male lion and/or any other male animal. Throughout the latter half of Simba’s Pride, Vitani orders around her much older brother, Nuka, with absolute impunity as her mother’s most trusted subordinate. Earlier in the story, when Vitani is still a cub, she attempted to assert herself over Nuka but failed due to her smaller size and lesser age.
She does not rule over Kovu because he is “the chosen one,” Scar’s heir and her future king. Where Zira teaches her to abuse lesser lions such as her older brother, at the same time she instills in Vitani an extreme loyalty to her younger brother and future king – something that may have helped lead to her change of heart at the end of The Lion King II. Dedicated to Kovu’s well-being and determined to protect him, Vitani’s relationship with her baby brother is probably the healthiest connection she has had in her entire life up to this point.
Due to the tendency toward control that her mother fostered in her, giving Vitani a love interest right out of the gate in The Lion Guard did not make any sense at all. The one time she met Kion, they were enemies and her loyalty to her mother was still paramount. Following the events of Simba’s Pride, she would probably continue to be dictatorial, making it difficult for her to bond easily with a male lion and eventually become his mate. Thanks to her mother she sees all male lions that are not naturally above her by birthright (i.e. Simba, Kovu, and eventually Kion), as inferiors she should command, not equals and/or partners she should respect as fellow individuals.
This is why giving her a Lion Guard made up of lionesses – all of whom she grew up with, judging by their fur coloring – makes sense. She was taught to see females as the stronger, better, smarter sex, with only a few exceptions being worthy of her respect. Nuka’s juvenile behavior would have furthered this view, making a love match between Vitani and a male lion impossible until her experiences caught up with reality.
It is no wonder, therefore, that when she was deputized to lead the Guard in Kion’s absence, she chose a cadre of lionesses rather than a group of lions to support her. She does not recognize (yet) the inherent value of the average male lion as an equal or even competent subordinate. It will take some time before experience rubs this “hard edge” off of her personality, allowing her to see what males not above her by birthright are truly capable of accomplishing.
Mr. Riley and the other writers of the series had no time to give her the requisite reality checks necessary to change her character in a believable and timely manner during the series finale. It is also more than likely true that their employers at Disney wanted an all-female Lion Guard and pushed for this outcome from the get-go of the final season. Thus the authors of the series gave them what they wanted – but not quite as they intended.
By the end of The Lion Guard, Kion has won Vitani’s respect and shown her that not all males are naturally inferior to females. This is likely the first of many incidents which will soften her character, eventually making her less aggressive and condescending toward males. Although she will never be quite as feminine as Nala or Kiara, someday Vitani will be marriage material. But since her story has nothing to do with that told in the series, viewers are only be given a glimpse of this gradual process rather than the entire tale.
I hope you enjoyed this Spotlight! post, readers. More will be forthcoming in the future (I hope!), as I still owe you several pieces before the year is out. But for now, ‘til the Pride Lands end –
I hope no one thought I forgot my promise to revisit the Thundercats universe! Since the series was the subject of my final post in 2019, this blogger wanted to put some new material between that article and this one. Hopefully, you will find it was worth the wait, readers.
As JorgePR correctly guessed last year, the focus of today’s post is none other than Snarf. His full name is Snarf Osbert, but because he despises that name he usually goes by his species’ moniker. If the naming convention seems odd, that is because it is. Snarfs are known as such because of the sound/word they always say (which is, of course, “snarf”). Their species name precedes their given name.
The system is reminiscent to how the Japanese, Chinese, and Koreans address one another. In the Orient, a person’s last name always comes before the one they were given at birth. Only family members or close friends may use someone’s first name in a familiar manner. Strangers, or those who know each other only casually, must always speak to one another using their last names. To do otherwise is considered quite rude.
Going back to the series, Snarfs are a lizard/cat species somehow related to the humanoid Thunderians. We are never told how, and we do not really need to know. After all, if your protagonists are humanoid cats, then why wouldn’t most of the friendly animals and/or sapient species from their homeworld be cat-themed as well?
Snarfs typically act in the capacity of servants to Thunderians. The only known species to be inherently incapable of committing evil (they only perform wicked acts when under mind control), Snarfs are quite happy to serve. Even if they work for a bad master, once he is removed they will search for a new Thunderian whom they can happily wait on, cook for, or for whom they may babysit. Though they eventually become an independent race, this comes about as a matter of circumstance and is not due to a revolt against their Thunderian rulers.
From this overview you might have an idea of how our Snarf fits into the series. Hired on as Lion-O’s nanny, the young prince’s growth spurt in the stasis pod does nothing to dampen Snarf’s affection for him. Acting as a sort of surrogate mother figure, he is hardly ever away from the new Lord’s side for most of the series’ run. Generally, if you see Lion-O, Snarf is somewhere nearby.
The first to awaken from his stasis pod, Snarf immediately goes in search of Lion-O. On finding him, he opens his stasis pod, and the two reunite – though the young man’s pride makes him a bit brusque with his former nurse. It is through his efforts that Lion-O is able to wake the other Thundercats and save them from an attack by the Mutants. Of course, this little fact seems to go unnoticed by the rest of the gang, leading Snarf to mutter some complaints about how he “did nothing at all. Just found the sword. *snarf, snarf*”
As you may have guessed, this is a running theme in the narrative. Plus, due to his small size and lack of fighting ability, Snarf tends to retreat from violent situations. In fact, some would say that the yellow streak down his back is appropriate because it hints at his cowardly nature. Overlooked by the enemy and taken for granted by the Thundercats from time to time, Snarf didn’t seem to serve much of a function beyond comic relief.
These may be some of the reasons why fans came to hate him so much. (His repetitive “*snarf, snarf*!” didn’t help, either, I think.) In a series full of warrior cat people, Snarf seemed to be storytelling dead weight. He whined and complained, ran from most fights, and had a rather prissy way of talking to the heroes, as though he was older and more mature than the rest of them…..
….Which he may actually have been. If you study Snarf’s face, general design, and listen to him speak, Snarf does appear to be the oldest member of the cast. Only Jaga may have surpassed him in age. Add to this his skill at housekeeping and knowledge of people – specifically Lion-O, his charge – and this reading gives meaning to a lot of Snarf’s behavior. He is not a warrior or even a housekeeper. He is everyone’s mom, uncle, and aunt all rolled into one.
An equivalent character would be Po’s dad, Mr. Ping, the goose from the Kung Fu Panda series. Mr. Ping is not a warrior. He whines and complains about everything, guilt-tripping Po into doing whatever he wants him to do (e.g. spend the Winter Festival with him at the restaurant). Since the entire franchise is comedic, Mr. Ping’s attitude isn’t as annoying to most as it would be if the story were played straight. The reverse applies to Snarf, as his behavior is not meant for comedic effect (most of the time).
One has to look no further than his relationship with Lion-O to see the proof of this. Although he could misread him from time to time, the one member of the group who knew the young Lord best was Snarf. He could usually tell when something was bothering the Prince, why the latter was upset, or when he was worried about something/someone. This was an invaluable skill that came in handy on several occasions. Not being as close to the other Cats, Snarf had to rely on Lion-O to explain why they did certain things or why he was worried about them.
Though he tried his best to help take care of the Thunderkittens as he had Lion-O, the brother-sister act’s notorious nose for mischief usually thwarted him in this area. He never became as close to the twins as he could have, probably because he hadn’t known them long enough. It appears that Snarf knew the future Lord of the Thundercats from the time he could toddle, if not from the time he was born. He only met the twins after or around the time Thundera died, making it harder for him to develop a similarly respectful rapport with them.
While he was not a fighter, Snarf did prove to have mettle. In one episode, he had to face Mumm-Ra alone after the ancient monster had captured the other six Thundercats. Snarf, despite his terror, used his small size and wits to sneak into the Living Mummy’s temple. Once there, he freed his friends to do the fighting he couldn’t.
He also utilized an ability which he apparently developed while living on Third Earth. By whistling various notes, Snarf could communicate with almost any animal on the planet, ranging from unicorns and deer to giant bees and bats. Through these twittering notes he was able to ask these animals for help and secure their strengths to aid him or his friends. Although not a flashy power like Cheetara’s speed or Tygra’s invisibility, it was a skill that came in very handy on more than one occasion.
Additionally, he once used his skill at a game called “kick the bucket” to very good effect. How he and Lion-O developed the game is a mystery, but it proves Snarf’s courage. Though he was not and never would be a warrior, Snarf would stand up for his friends and his young charge when they needed him most. He had to be clever and quick, since his size and physical weakness made it easy for bigger opponents to overpower him. But this ability to distract or surprise the bad guys at the right moment often gave the Cats enough time to get back on their feet and finish the battle.
It also demonstrated that his tendency to be overlooked could be more of a blessing than a curse. Since Mumm-Ra and other antagonists wrote him off as insignificant, they barely paid attention to Snarf. This gave him opportunities to act that none of the other Cats would have gotten. In the end, I think Snarf was more valuable to the team than most fans would believe.
Snarf 2011
Of course, this brings us to the 2011 version of Snarf. As in the original series, Snarf began the story as Lion-O’s nursemaid. Unlike his ‘80s counterpart, however, this new Snarf did not talk. At least, he did not speak in a manner that the audience understood. Lion-O seemed to know what he was saying – or trying to say. Once again, we hardly ever saw the two of them apart. Wherever Lion-O went, Snarf was usually at his heels.
To the best of my hearing, Snarf only said one intelligible word in the entire 2011 reboot. In “The Duelist and the Drifter” he leaned on Lion-O’s leg, shook his head emphatically, and said, “No, no, no, no!” When his king agreed to the Duelist’s terms anyway, Snarf let his ears droop and murmured another, forlorn “No.” And he did so without moving his mouth.
Clearly, this blogger considered the 2011 Snarf to be a disappointment. I understand I am in the minority that actually likes the character, but reducing him to the cute animal sidekick just took something away from the franchise. That is my opinion, anyway.
This concludes the series of Spotlight! posts centering on the main cast of Thundercats. From now on, we will be discussing the secondary or side characters. Until then, readers, I leave you with a hearty “Thunder…Thunder….
Once more this blogger brings you to the burning deserts of Zi, readers! Today’s subject is not a zoid, however. No, today we are looking at two of the best characters in Zoids: Chaotic Century. These would be none other than Rosso and Viola, the bandits who became guardians of peace and justice.
If you are scratching your head over that statement, I will do my best not to spoil too much of it for you. This is a transition that should really be viewed for its full impact to have any meaning. For this reason, the discussion today will focus on the characters’ introduction and the lead up to the moment where everything changed rather than on their relationships with other cast members in the story.
All right, down to business. Rosso and Viola appear in the second episode of Chaotic Century as the leaders of the Desert Alca Valino Gang. Viola is reading their subordinates – Bianco, Nero, and Boll – the riot act for being defeated in battle by a village boy in the opening installment. The three have limped back to base following their confrontation with Van and are trying to justify their loss to the novice pilot.
Viola isn’t having any of it, but Rosso takes the three men’s story as the truth. Intrigued by their description of Zeke, he realizes that the boy has an organoid in his “posession.” So he orders Viola to take the other members of the gang to steal Zeke so they can sell him to the Imperial Army in order to “regain [their] former position. Then [they] won’t be stuck playing games out here [in the desert].”
We never learn just why Rosso, Viola, and (presumably) the rest of the group were kicked out of the Imperial Army. Their skill as pilots certainly was not an issue. Given what is said in the show, it appears that Rosso and his most loyal officers were booted from the Army for offending a political bureaucrat or somehow disobeying the top brass.
Again, this is never confirmed in the course of the series. It is all conjecture on this author’s part, based on the hints dropped the English translation of the show. Since the two bandits do not appear in the manga at all, there is no other source of information to confirm or deny this theory. (Recently, I discovered that the manga and the anime for Zoids: Chaotic Century tell two completely different stories. Though several characters are the same, others either do not appear in the anime or are unique to the manga, and vice versa. Fans thus consider the two story lines to be set in alternate universes.) The hints in the series are just mysterious enough for viewers to come up with several reasonable guesses as to why the Imperials kicked the Gang out of the army.
In order to return to the Army, Viola leads her men in an attack on the Wind Colony, Van’s home town. When the hero’s big sister, Maria, insists he and Zeke left earlier, the bandit does not believe her. She kidnaps the younger woman in order to force the villagers to hand the organoid over.
Van, understandably, is not willing to go along with this. Escaping the village, he rescues Zeke and frees his sister. In the process he defeats the bandits once again. Realizing the others were telling the truth and that Rosso was right to believe Zeke was an organoid, Viola sounds the retreat.
After this battle Van, Fiona, and Zeke leave the Wind Colony to protect the village from repeated attacks. For seven to ten episodes after this, the Desert Alca Valino Gang more or less follows the two and their new friends across the lawless countryside. Though they do not actively pursue them, they do run into each other rather frequently.
Rosso and Viola also play a role in the growing unrest between the Helic Republic and Guylos Empire. Hired to attack an Imperial battalion to trigger the Battle of Red River and renew the war between the two countries, the Gang is hung out to dry by the officer who requested their help when the skirmish fails to spark a war. Desperate to avoid prison, Rosso decides to go after Van in a last ditch effort to capture his organoid and sell Zeke to the Imperial Army. He essentially hopes to buy back his former rank and save his and his people’s skin.
The plan, of course, fails. Rosso is arrested and sent to military prison, leaving Viola bent on vengeance for her lover’s incarceration. Her own plans are derailed, however, when she finds that Van has stopped off in her old village and become friends with her baby sister. In order to prevent her younger sister, Rosa, from learning the truth about Viola, Van lies and makes himself out to be the villain. This leaves the woman who wanted to kill him deep in his debt and with a new outlook on life.
More befalls the bandits in the course of the show, but to reveal all of that would be telling. 😉 All I can say is that the two make an excellent couple. Rosso trusts Viola as his second-in-command not only because he loves her, but because she can mentally and physically keep up with him. Both bandits are also proficient at infiltration, shown when they steal into the Imperial palace to execute a kidnapping, and they are master tacticians.
The two compliment each other very well. Rosso is a good leader, able to direct his followers and Viola from behind or at the forefront of the battle. Using the nose horn on his Red Horn, he shattered the energy shield produced by Van’s Shield Liger, and his skill with the Iron Kong was amazing. While she lacks the physical and piloting power to attack an opponent directly, Viola was quite capable as the pilot of her Redler and showed her own strategic abilities in zoid combat on several occasions.
But it was when they were given command of the prototype Storm Sworders that the two really came into their own. This was more noticeable for Rosso, whose skill took an enormous leap forward. As I said in the post on the Pteranadon-type zoid, he controlled the Sworder in a manner similar to a samurai wielding his sword. Having been the pilot of an aerial zoid for far longer, it is possible that Viola was already at the height of her ability. The fact that she was easier to take down in a Storm Sworder makes this seem fairly likely, indicating that she may have had further to go to achieve complete harmony with her zoid.
To be perfectly honest, Rosso and Viola are two of the main reasons this blogger recommends Zoids: Chaotic Century so highly. Their story, which is not in the manga at all, is one of the best side arcs in the entire series. Although it got a bit sappy in a couple of places, their romance was handled well and their character growth is one of the things this author enjoys seeing every time she re-watches the show.
Normally, I would say more about their relationships with other characters in the story, but that would be going into spoiler territory for these two. Suffice it to say that Van has a greater effect on Rosso and Viola than the other way around. If they had not met and been bested by him, then neither would have become the guardians of peace and justice they were later in the show.
That’s not to say the two bandits had no effect on the hero. Without their initial, selfish desire to take Zeke, Van might have left the Wind Colony later than he did. The two were the catalyst which drove him to seek adventure beyond his home. If not for that, we never would have had a series in the first place. And later, when they become heroes in their own right, it is made clear that Van respects and counts the two as friends.
Rosso and Viola would be hard for Hollywood to cast based largely on their looks. I cannot think of any Hollywood actor who could conceivably fit the role of Rosso, though there are some actresses who could be done up to resemble Viola fairly easily. If – and that is a big if these days – a competent director, writer, cast, and crew could be found, then translating these two bandits and the rest of the characters to the silver screen would be possible. Unfortunately, though, that does not seem likely to happen.
On the bright side, if you are interested in “meeting” these two heroes, you can either buy the DVDs on Amazon or watch the show for free here. Though the first few episodes may not be impressive, if you give the series a chance it will more than reward you for your patience. But don’t take my word for it – check out Zoids: Chaotic Century see for yourself how good it actually is!
Greetings from a galaxy far, far away! It has been a long time since this blogger posted anything on Star Wars Rebels. While part of that was due to the inherent busyness of the previous year another, greater part of it was the fact that the series ended on such a disappointing note. As mentioned previously, I was not pleased by the series’ finale and I still have not watched it. For this blogger, Rebels ended with season three.
Why has the Mithril Guardian suddenly returned to Rebels? Well, to be perfectly honest, she never actually left. She enjoys re-watching episodes from the first three seasons occasionally and often discusses the characters with friends. One of those chats led to the subject of this post: Captain Hera Syndulla, the mother-figure for the crew of the Ghost who later became a general in the Rebel Alliance.
To be perfectly honest, Hera never really won me over, and that always struck this author as odd. The reason this seemed strange to me is that there are many things to like about Captain Syndulla. For starters, she is a very good “space mom” to her crew. Her piloting skills are on par with those of Han Solo, Wedge Antilles, Luke Skywalker, Tycho Celchu, Corran Horn, and dozens of other original characters. She believes wholeheartedly in the Rebellion and the Force. She is capable, pleasant, and an all around good person…which should make me like her.
So why don’t I like Hera?
This has bothered me for some time, not as an issue to be remedied so much as a subject to be understood. And, after much thought, I believe I have found that understanding. This blogger has come to the conclusion that her biggest problem with Hera has nothing to do with the character herself. It does, however, have everything to do with what the writers did to her.
This is not meant to be an insult to Dave Filoni or his crew. They did a fine job with the show. But they were operating under some obvious handicaps, and a great many of the choices they made for the series demonstrate this, especially the ones involving Hera. Having watched a few Clone Wars episodes with a friend, the strictures holding Filoni down became a bit clearer. He and the other showrunners must have been told by the Disney bigwigs to make the women in Rebels outshine the men in every possible way and as often as they could manage it, something Filoni did not have to do in Clone Wars.
This is why Sabine tended to show Ezra up even after his training and experience should have given him enough strength and strategic planning to match her. While some of this can be put down to her longer Mandalorian training, there are situations which occur during Rebels that do not account for or excuse the moments where the writers blatantly pander to the “I am woman, hear me roar!” crowd. Clone Wars kept a much more balanced view of the heroes and heroines’ separate biological, mental, and physical advantages in combat. Rebels was not allowed to do this with Sabine or, more importantly, with Hera Syndulla.
Allow me to explain. When we are introduced to Hera she is the unquestioned captain of the ship, heart of the crew, and mother figure to the younger members in the group (including Zeb, who is young at heart if not in actual fact). She is also the only one to have knowledge of and contact with the Rebel Alliance, a constraint which is meant to protect both her “space family” and the Alliance. Additionally, she is the only member of the crew totally committed to the Rebellion and the Force. Also, she alone has scars that do not begin bleeding at the slightest touch.
Portraying Hera this way makes a lot of sense. In a group of broken, battered, disillusioned people, you would want at least one member of the gang to have a level head and emotional maturity. This person would also have to have enough love in their heart to make everyone feel welcome and thus determined to stay, no matter what old wounds are opened or who steps on their toes. Hera fits the bill nicely and accomplishes her task very well – when she is allowed to do it.
This is where the problems begin. Hera Syndulla is rarely given permission to be herself in the latter seasons of Rebels. Rather than let her be the warm, gooey glue who holds the crew together and leads them down the path to healing, she is forced to “be more than the ‘space mom’ of the Ghost.” In addition to this potent place she holds in the story and the crew, she is forced to become a political firebrand and a general.
No one behind Filoni and his staff, it appears, ever thought to ask why she needed to be either of these things in addition to being a mom. Was it because the corporate suits thought she had to “be more powerful”? To “be stronger”? To show that “women are just as good as a man” in war? Begging your pardon, Disney/Lucasfilm, but I would like to see a man successfully hold the crew together the way that Hera Syndulla did when Filoni wasn’t forced to make her dance to your PC tune.
Before anyone makes the obvious point that men can hold together a “family” of this sort, too, permit me to say a few words on that. Generally, when men are put in a unifying position for a pseudo family, they do this job far differently than women such as Hera do it. Captain America is the grounding and uniting force for the Avengers, true, but his role is that of a “battle father.” And as a father, he has to be in the field, leading the charge, because that is what men do. They lead. They fight. They build. They sweat and toil, enduring deprivation and pain so that the rest of the family can stay home to make home a place worth fighting, living, and dying for.
Mothers do not do that. They cannot do it because they do not have time for it. They are too busy making sure the kids get to school on time, taking care of the house (or ship, in this case), not to mention keeping an eye on the money and food. These are all things that men can do, too, but they typically do not have time to do it because they are fighting off outside threats. Whether these threats are natural – i.e. storms and animals – or whether they come from other people like the Empire does not matter. What matters is that this is what they do while the moms stay home to keep the hearth fires glowing.
Notice I said moms do not fight. Women can and have led armies. They can and have entered combat. And when their family is threatened, moms will step up to the plate to defend those they love from harm. In each case, however, they have done so in small numbers or due to necessity rather than choice. This is because most women are much happier (and more comfortable) running a household than they are fighting on the battlefield or shooting bad guys from the cover of their living rooms.
While some missions would have called for Hera to leave the Ghost, the majority would have let her stay home and run the household, a.k.a. the ship. That was her primary domain, the place where she could do the most good – in no small part because it was her ship and she was the best pilot in the group. No one else could fly the Ghost or run the vessel the way she could because there she was the boss and her word was literally law.
She did not need to “be more” than the “mom” for the crew. Hera had more power in her pinky finger as mom and captain of the Ghost than Princess Leia or Mon Mothma had as leaders of the Alliance. She was also far tougher and more powerful than Sabine. Specter Five may have been able to go toe-to-toe with adult, fully trained Stormtroopers and Mandalorians, but Hera ran the ship twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week. Which job is harder – beating up bad guys, or getting everyone around the dinner table on time? (Hint: the answer is not smacking Stormtroopers.)
Hera’s place, to me, was always on the Ghost. I liked her best when she was at her most motherly and/or piloting the ship. That was when she was at her finest. That was when she was strongest. When she was allowed to be a woman and a mother, Hera absolutely fascinated this blogger. I would have followed that version of Hera from Lothal to Endor and straight into the old EU’s Yuuzhan Vong War arc (which, in case you who have only just discovered this site, is an arc I absolutely despise).
Unfortunately, Filoni and the other writers could not let her stay there. They had to put her in A-Wing, Y-Wing, and X-Wing fighters. They had to send her to make inspiring political speeches. They had to have her, a relative nobody in the Rebellion’s upper echelons (who remembers the Senator’s daughter?), tell off a bunch of politicians so she could lead an attack on the Lothalian TIE Defender factories. (With a handful of freaking fighters, NOT a detachment of cruisers and blockade runners that could at least hold their own with an armada of big bad Star Destroyers!!! Aargh…!)
The Disney bigwigs did not want to give Mon Mothma or Leia the floor. They did not even want to give a new female character made specifically for the moment the job of facing “the patriarchy.” No, they had to yank the “space mom” away from home and family to do a job meant for a stateswoman or – gasp – a man like Senator Bail Organa.
Senator Bail Organa
Seriously, exchange Hera for Bail in that rousing speech scene in episode eight of season four. I guarantee you the scenario works better with him telling the wishy-washy Senators to get off their butts and strike while the iron is hot than to have Hera do it. When this blogger heard Hera give her “stirring lecture,” she had to roll her eyes to avoid yelling at the screen. Hera’s speech sounded empty and flat, which it should not have. It was (a) not a bad speech and (b), she is a good enough character that she should have been able to make it work. She just could not make it work outside of the Ghost because, dang it, the ship is her province and main sphere of influence.
That ship and her crew are the ones who need to hear her speeches, not a bunch of sniveling political blowhards who haven’t got enough courage among them to fill a teaspoon. This is another problem with that scene: we know that Bail Organa has a great deal of fortitude – he helped to found the Rebel Alliance, despite being from a pacifist world that has no weapons whatsoever. Why is he suddenly reluctant not to take a stab at the Empire? The Bail Organa of the original EU would have ordered the strike without a second thought. Why does this version suddenly start tiptoeing around the idea like a ballet dancer?
And whose bright idea was it to send the near-pacifistic Mon Mothma to tell Hera to go give the political leaders a tongue-lashing in her stead? For Pete’s sake, in previous season four episodes, Mon Mothma was all for running and hiding!!! Now she’s going to send another woman and to start a fight on her behalf?! In the name of Heaven, why?!?! (*author slaps head on desk repeatedly*)
It was choices like these which kept my admiration for Hera Syndulla at a moderate level. She was designed to be a mom and a pilot, but Filoni could not leave her there because Disney had to maintain the attack on the “evil patriarchy” no matter what. This meant that he had to attack the “patriarchy” or lose his job at Lucasfilm, along with his chance to maintain some sanity in a galaxy far, far away. Thus he had to essentially ruin a fine character who, while she was good, could have been truly great if he had been free to leave her on the ship.
Does this mean Rebels is not worth watching, or that Hera is a terrible character? The answer to both questions is no. Rebels’ first three seasons are good, and Hera is a fine character. But she and the series would have been much, much better if Filoni’s bosses hadn’t been such short-sighted twits. If they had left him alone, then Rebels would have been more fun than it already is.
In order to end this post on a positive note, I can say that the series is worth a go. I am really sorry they could not do more than they did, but what they pulled off during the show’s first three seasons was good. It is not bad entertainment and I recommend watching it when you get the chance. Just bear in mind what Disney/Lucasfilm did and recognize that it could have been better if they had left the writers alone.
So far in this series of Spotlight! posts we have covered Panthro, Cheetara, Tygra, and the Thunderkittens. Discounting the one we will discuss today, that leaves one final character on the list. But who is the focus of this post?
That would be none other than Lion-O, Lord of the Thundercats. Based on the African lion, Lion-O is the hereditary Lord of the Thundercats. The position is equivalent to the title of king and is not indicative of a noble designation; “lord” sounds better when combined with “Thundercats” than king. Just try to say, “Lion-O, King of the Thundercats.” Go ahead, I’ll wait.
…Tried it? It’s a bit of tongue twister, isn’t it?
When we first see him Lion-O appears as a twelve-year-old cub. As the rest of the team guides their ship away from Thundera, the young prince is quite literally taking a nap. Scenes from later episodes would make one wonder about this, but for the introductory installment the picture fits. The prince is a child and the adults want to spare him the destruction of his homeworld for as long as humanly possible. (Yes, I know they are humanoid cats. It’s called artistic license. Get over it!) Eventually, though, they have to wake him. If he is going to be the ruler of his people, he has to “learn to take the good with the bad.”
Not long after watching Thundera go the way of Krypton, the Thundercats’ ship is attacked and boarded by Mutants. Left in the throne room with the Sword of Omens, Lion-O is most displeased to be denied a piece of the action. However, when the Mutant leaders Slythe and Jackalman arrive to steal the Sword, Lion-O finds that battle does not necessarily hold the kind of excitement that he believed it would. Threatened by the Mutants, he tries to lift the Sword, but it is too heavy. So the Sword itself activates and, with a flare of magical power, sends Slythe and Jackalman running.
With the boarders repelled the adults take stock of the damage. Their engines have been hit hard, meaning they cannot reach their chosen new home, so their best option is the as-yet unnamed Third Earth. Since the journey will take so long the only way for the Cats to survive is to enter the suspension capsules, where they will be kept in suspended animation until they land.
If you read the first post on the original Thundercats series, then this should all be fairly familiar. The only reason I go over it again here is because it is a pretty good set-up for Lion-O’s character: he is proud, speaks before he thinks, and tends to get more than he bargained for when he makes any kind of childish wish. But we also see here that he does have redeeming qualities, such as nobility of spirit, courage, determination, and compassion. He is not a one-trick pony but a multi-dimensional protagonist who wants to be a good man.
So even though his behavior when he wakes to find himself an adult is annoying, it is not enough to make viewers like yours truly detest him. We have all been where he is at this point in his life and can relate to his attitude. Also, though we do not necessarily want him to get smacked upside the head with reality, we know it is coming. Because Lion-O remains agreeable despite his flaws, we can hope the blow is softened by the wisdom of his much older friends as well.
Lion-O’s character is more or less centered on nobility and courage, both virtues symbolized by his namesake cat. While he is second to Panthro in terms of physical strength, Lion-O is no slouch when it comes to corporal prowess. Those Conan-like muscles aren’t for show. When he gets going, the young Lord can go toe-to-toe with some of the most powerful villains on and off Third Earth strength for strength.
However, a good physique is not enough to fight Mumm-Ra. When he duels with the ever-living mummy Lion-O primarily relies on the hereditary weapon of his house, the Sword of Omens, to see him through the battle. More than a simple Sword, the mystical Eye of Thundera in the hilt of the Sword of Omens grants any pure and/or good-hearted wielder the basic ability of “Sight Beyond Sight.” This is the capacity to view people or events occuring simultaneously elsewhere and even in the past.
Whenever a Thundercat – up to and including Lion-O – is at risk or in danger, the Eye growls in warning. Lion-O could then snatch it from the scabbard/Claw Shield and say, “Sword of Omens, give me sight beyond sight,” enabling to see who was in trouble or what trap was in store for him. Given the context of this statement when spoken, his words always had the ring of a petition rather than a command. The Eye and the Sword were sacred relics to the Thunderian race, and given the power they had, his specific tone and phraseology when addressing the Sword makes a great deal of sense.
It also emphasized the fact that the Sword a personality of its own. Though willing enough to let Lion-O throw bolts of energy at an opponent or to use its magic in some other creative fashion, if he charged into a fight too quickly or let his pride get the better of him, the Sword would stay stubbornly silent, still, and small. This prevented Lion-O from becoming an intolerable protagonist as well. With the Sword and his friends checking his ego at every turn, it made learning lessons in humility and virtue easier for him to swallow, helping him grow up less harshly than he would have otherwise.
Along with the Sword, Lion-O regularly carried and wielded the Claw Shield. A scabbard that doubled as a gauntlet, it was molded to resemble a lion’s paw. The Shield was practically indestructible, just like the Sword. The index finger of the shield could send out a claw-tipped grappling line, allowing its wielder to swing down from a great height or swing up to one. The wearer could also use the lines to rappel up and/or down any vertical surface. The gems on its knuckles covered similar grappling lines, though they were used less frequently by Lion-O than the single claw line.
In addition, the gems on the back of the Claw Shield hid vents which would blow out clouds of a green smoke/gas which would temporarily blind and befuddle an opponent. The claws in the gauntlet’s “fingers” also allowed for a better grip when climbing, and a chain attached to the inside of the Shield gave the user the ability to wield the gauntlet like a lasso. It goes without saying that, when Lion-O punched someone while wearing the Shield, his strike hurt more than it would have if he had used his bare fist. If he hit someone with his Claw Shielded fist then the unlucky enemy would be feeling it for days.
It is unknown how the gauntlet attached to Lion-O’s leg. He wore no pants (as the pictures above clearly show), and there was no visible hook on the Shield. It adhered to his leg by some chemical or magical means, allowing the Lord of the Thundercats to grab and don it whenever the need arose.
Combined with the watchful instruction of his friends and the spiritual advice of the deceased royal adviser/magician, the influence of the Sword of Omens and Eye of Thundera helped to mold Lion-O into an heroic king. While not above a joke or friendly teasing, by the time he had to undergo the Anointment Trials to ascend the throne, the young Lord was almost a different person from the boy-child seen in the first episodes. Tempered by defeat and matured by time, he is an adult to be reckoned with, something his success in the Trials confirmed.
Of course, now one has to stack this portrayal up against that seen in the 2011 Thundercats reboot. To be perfectly honest, the writers for the reboot did a pretty good job of capturing Lion-O’s journey to manhood. They did not do it as well as the ‘80s writers, but that is to be expected due to the changes they made in order to win over a new audience.
In the 2011 series, Lion-O is in his mid-to-late teens. Somwhere around seventeen or eighteen based on his appearance, I would guess, but he may actually have been around sixteen years old. The heir to the throne of Thundera, which is a kingdom on Third Earth rather than a planet, Lion-O has lived most of his life in his adopted older brother Tygra’s shadow. He is therefore less mature and more likely to rush headfirst into a fight.
Only this time, he doesn’t want to charge into battle just to avenge wounded pride. That aspect comes later. Lion-O runs straight into trouble in the 2011 series because he is dedicated to doing the right thing, even if the odds are against him – a fact which usually registers after he has promised to fix everything, only to find the situation is more difficult or complex than it appeared at first glance.
For the most part, Lion-O’s pride is not a source of trouble in the reboot. His inexperience, his temper, his relative naïveté, and his good heart lead to most of the difficulties he and his friends face as the show progresses. Thus his journey is less about overcoming pride and realizing his responsibilities than it is about him transitioning through trial and error from boy to man.
Looking back, I think that this is one of the reasons why I did not mind Lion-O’s new appearance or arc in the reboot. His romantic interest in Cheetara and some other quibbles aside, the writers did a very good job of presenting the Lord of the Thundercats and his character arc to a new generation of viewers. While it would have been nice if they had maintained some of the nuance from the 1980s’, there is no denying that they pulled out all the stops to make sure they did not violate the pattern set for Lion-O by the first series.
Add to this Will Friedle’s enthusiastic voice acting (he happens to be a huge fan of the original Thundercats series), and there is literally nothing bad for this blogger say about his portrayal. He was a great choice for Lion-O, and I hope he gets another shot at playing the young prince someday in the future. This is one character/actor pairing that deserves to be revisited!
Well, that wraps up this year’s set of Spotlight! posts, readers. I have time for two more before I take my Christmas season leave, but I have many plans for 2020’s posting schedule. Many plans indeed…. ;D
Once more we return to the desert sands of Zi, readers! In all the hustle and bustle this year, I almost forgot to fulfill a promise I made in 2018. That pledge was to discuss the merits of the Pteras Striker, a Republican airborne zoid that was mentioned in the post about Moonbay. Luckily, this blogger realized in time that she had neglected this duty, a turn of events she intends to change right…. Now!
The Pteras Striker – Pteras is pronounced like “terrace,” just so you know – is one of the most familiar air zoids in the Republican air corps. A blocky Pterasaur-ish type bio-machine, its color scheme is usually blue and grey. The only other colors seem to be blue and yellow or grey and silver. There do not appear to be many variations in the paints used for this mechanical combat unit’s armor.
It is worth noting that the silver Pterases (pronounced like “terraces”) are faster than the average model. Why this is, yours truly cannot say. It may be that silver Pterases are equipped with booster packs or have lighter armor, allowing them to go faster. No explanation is offered within the series, so either guess may be accurate. This is mere conjecture on this author’s part, as she attempts to fill in the blanks left by the English translation of the show.
At first glance, it looks as though there is no way for Pteras Strikers to fly. Their wings are full of holes, after all. Doesn’t that negate the ability to soar? When this blogger asked that same question as a child, her father provided the explanation. Pterases fly by virtue of the electric current that flows through their wings. Although I no longer remember for certain, my father may have mentioned a type of real-life plane that operates on the same principle.
So if anyone knows about an aircraft that can do this, please mention it in the comments! This blogger would dearly love to know for certain if her memory has held up over the years. (Plus, if there is an existing plane that flies via this method, it just has to be cool! :D)
In terms of combat capabilities, the Pteras is…not this writer’s favorite zoid. The Pteras has light armor and is far slower than most of its competition, though it can be quick in close quarters or with the right pilot. While only the Raynos – a zoid from the sequel series Zoids: New Century Zero – could outclass the Storm Sworder directly in terms of speed, the Pteras seems unequal to the task of facing even an ordinary Redler in combat. The fact that we never saw these two air zoids clash during the series did not help the Pteras’ image.
Neither did the mechanical combat unit’s myriad crashes. The Pteras Strikers in both Zoids: Chaotic Century and New Century Zero were basically cannon fodder for heroes and enemies alike. There are many, many scenes in both series of one or more Pterases being shot down and tumbling out of the sky. Jamie Hermos, the pilot of a Pteras in New Century Zero, was the only character who ever seemed distressed by the loss of his zoid. Other pilots who, admittedly, used Pterases far less frequently and were less attached to them, often shrugged their loss off.
Besides their relatively thin armor, Pterases usually have two types of weaponry: light armaments and heavy artillery. One could argue silver Pterases maintained a nice middle-ground in the weaponry department, but the fact is that their weapons tended to be relatively light as well. Still, silver Pterases did have the better end of the armament stick, in this author’s opinion.
A basic Pteras model comes equipped with two missiles on its back and a mini-machine gun on the right side of its mouth. And when I say mini, I mean mini. The gun barrel is probably only a little wider than a man’s hand with all fingers spread.
The bullets fired from this gun are enough to seriously bother ground-based zoids and bring them up short, but they do not seem capable of causing major damage to their four-legged targets. New Century and Chaotic Century show the mini machine gun’s bullets as mere pinpricks that make a ground zoid’s armor bounce uncomfortably. So while annoying and potentially deadly (at least to the pilot), only prolonged exposure to the bullets would inflict definite harm on an opposing bio-machine.
With regard to the missiles, while they could deliver a substantially higher payload, there were only two of them. That would significantly reduce the Pteras pilot’s ability to fight off numerous opponents if he has to escape a battle, or if he is facing a better-armored zoid. It was not an especially encouraging armament for a mechanical combat unit sent into an active (or even an inactive) war zone. Given the Republic’s lack of wealth to procure materials, however, it made quite a bit of sense in context of the series.
Of course, “sense” does not mean “helpful.” In order to make the Pteras useful on the battlefield, Republican technicians and scientists added higher powered cannons to the wings of the Pteras Striker. These weapons packed more punch than the missiles on the zoid’s back and enabled it to carry more ammunition. Smaller arms that were still bigger than the Pteras’ “mouth cannon” were set alongside these larger guns, giving the zoid enough firepower to act as legitimate air support.
Naturally, though, this added weaponry put quite a bit of extra drag on the Pteras Striker. While nimble enough, the zoid was already inferior to most of its competition in the speed department. So throwing more guns on it only made it slower, meaning it became a more appealing and an easier target for Imperial forces. Again, not something that is particularly helpful in a war.
Silver Pterases, in contrast, came equipped with large machine guns on their wings. These were light enough not to interfere with the zoid’s mobility at the same time they provided it with significant firepower. Combined with their greater speed, these items made silver Pterases preferable to the basic models and their more heavily armed counterparts. Due to the lack of Republican resources, though, these zoids were not seen much during the war in the first season of Chaotic Century. For some reason, they never even had an appearance in New Century Zero. At least, this blogger does not recall seeing the silver Pteras in action during that show’s run.
Given these limitations, it makes sense that the Pteras would more regularly be used as a recon zoid. Replacing the missiles on their backs with a radar dish for greater range, the Pteras could provide the military with detailed reconnaissance. Even though this made the zoid even more vulnerable to attack, it was a pretty good idea – especially for the cash-strapped Republic.
Clearly, this blogger does not prefer the Pteras Striker as a combat zoid. It is a pretty mechanical combat unit, in its own way, but it would certainly be one of the last bio-machines I would choose to pilot in a fight. The only times this writer would take it out would be for a Sunday flight or if she was desperate. Or if the zoid was slated for dismemberment and cruel experimentation, but we will discuss that subject another time.
I hope you enjoyed this look at the Pteras Striker, readers. This will be my final Zoids post of 2019; there will be more next year, but since we are coming up on the Christmas season no more such posts shall be forthcoming this month. I have a couple of different articles planned, but you will have to wait and see what those will contain. 😉 Until next time –
Left to right: Wilykat and his older sister, Wilykit
Earlier this year an article about Tygra, a member of the Thundercats from the series of the same name, appeared here at Thoughts. When asked if more posts on the characters would be forthcoming, this blogger promised to write at least a two before the year was out. She is now endeavoring to follow through on that assurance with this Spotlight! post.
Having covered three of the adult members of the original cast from Thundercats, we now turn to their junior members, the Thunderkittens. Apparently, among the Thunderian race, children are known as cubs and teenagers are called kittens. Wilykit and her younger twin brother, Wilykat, are both in their early teens (they appear to be thirteen or fourteen years old). As such they are usually referred to as the Kittens, though the adults will sometimes call them kids.
The Thunderkittens are thought to be based on wildcats. They have no obvious markings which identify their species of cat, so this is primarily conjecture on the part of the audience. Since it is such a likely classification it has stuck throughout the years.
Born into nobility, Wilykit and Wilykat are technically older than Lion-O, who was around twelve when they left Thundera. When they left their dying homeworld the two were expected to treat him as a younger brother – albeit one who would someday be their king. Upon finding the younger cub had grown to adulthood in his sleeping capsule the Kittens were quick to jump on him for his pride in his newfound strength.
Although their statements were accurate, they also showed that the Kittens were rather jealous of him. They no longer had someone they could boss around and with whom they could just be kids. Lion-O was physically mature and therefore had to assume his responsibilities faster than anyone had anticipated. Although he never lorded his power over them and became an older brother figure to the two, all three felt the sudden gap between them keenly during their first days on Third Earth.
As their names imply, Kit and Kat were masters of the art of trickery. Each sibling carried a pouch full of colored, cats-eye style magic pellets that would do a variety of things when they struck the ground. The capsules could be the equivalent of flash-bang grenades or they could be bubble gum. Even the Kittens didn’t always know what was in a given tablet before they used it. Although the items inside were hardly ever improper for the situation at hand, on a few occasions they did prove to be a bust.
In addition Kit and Kat carried “trick lassos” that they could use to tie up an opponent or to enter/exit a battle. Since they were teens neither Kitten could match their opponents physically, despite their own naturally increased strength. The lassos were generally a method for swinging into or out of a battle. They were also a temporary measure that enabled them to hold an enemy in place for a brief period of time. During those few precious seconds the twins could pull off a ruse or keep someone pinned in place long enough for one of the adult Cats to arrive.
Unless they had the opportunity to operate one of the weapons built into Cat’s Lair, the Thundertank, or another vehicle the twins’ fighting style was based entirely on speed, agility, acrobatics, and/or a mischievous ploy. Exceptional climbers even by Thundercat standards, the twins often raced through the trees both to fight and flee as well as to have fun.
Only one twin had a special move similar to the adults’ innate powers. Wilykit had the ability to curl up into a ball and zing around a battlefield, allowing her to knock over, hit, or stun much larger opponents. Her power was useful but could also be detrimental; while fighting animated stone gargoyles, hitting them at speed in her ball form “nearly threw [her] back out.” If she had struck the monsters at a higher velocity, she would have seriously injured herself.
Wilykit did not use this ability too often, preferring to rely on her native wit and skills to fight. She and her brother tended to combine both these traits with their piloting ability. Each Kitten had a special, surfer-style hoverboard specifically designed for them by Panthro. Regularly flying around the environs of Cat’s Lair, the Kittens could provide impromptu air support and reconnaissance. They could also act as advance scouts or even bait.
Conversely, they could also become the catalyst for a conflict by being captured while gallivanting about on the hoverboards. Kids will be kids, after all, and it wouldn’t be healthy for the Cats to keep the twins indoors or within sight of Cat’s Lair all the time. Besides, with no other resources to rely on as they became denizens and then protectors of their new homeworld, the Kittens often had adult responsibilities thrust upon them. They rarely abused the trust the mature members of the party placed in them, willingly accepting the discipline imposed on them when they realized how badly they had erred.
My earlier article on the two Thundercats TV series gives details about how the writers for the comics treated the Kittens. Not only was it illogical, it was downright evil. The 2011 reboot did not touch on that, thankfully, but it was not entirely generous in its depiction of the Kittens, either.
For one thing, the reboot made the twins much younger than they had been in the original series. They were also given tails and turned into street urchins rather than young nobles. Wilykit’s ball form was replaced with a flute she could use to hypnotize a target, and the Kittens’ ears doubled as their hair. Wilykit became a spiritual adviser to Lion-O in the 2011 series as well. While that was not a bad alteration per se, the role would have had more weight if she were a noble trained to such a position or if she was assuming her hereditary duty. Since she was a former street urchin and a cub rather than a Kitten, it seemed a bit out of place.
The reboot also expanded on the Kittens’ origins, showing them with their parents and twin younger siblings. While this was a fine addition to the original story (we never did find out what became of Kit and Kat’s parents in the ‘80s), what followed was not. After their father was killed in a tornado, the Kittens’ mother apparently began selling herself to make ends meet so she could feed her four children.
Although realistic, this turn of events is both uncharacteristic of the original Thundercats material at the same time it was mishandled terribly. Nothing within the series overtly hints at the position of the Kittens’ mother following the loss of their father, thankfully, but the fact that this was put in a children’s show is more than a bit disturbing. There were other jobs they could have given to the Kittens’ mother which would have been better for viewers young and old to empathize with.
Likewise, the fact that they have the twins run away from home in the middle of the night to find a mythical city of gold strikes a false note. Didn’t their mother worry about them? Didn’t she try to find them? Why are they stealing for themselves just to keep body and soul together until they find El Dara, the city of gold? There were jobs they could have found, even at that young age, which would have helped take care of their mother and siblings rather than leave home in such a way as to add to their troubles.
All of this serves to make the previous point that the reboot, while it has entertaining and good aspects, is far inferior to its predecessor. While it has its enjoyable moments, the places where it falls down on the job make it difficult to completely enjoy. The ‘80s show was not perfect, but it did not need to be. It just had to be good.
Well, readers, that covers all the major characters in the series except one. Oops, actually, there are two left. Lion-O will be next on the list, but after his post will come an article on the hero who received the most hate in the ‘80s. He never bothered me the way that he did others, though, so the post about him will be very interesting indeed.
Welcome back to the deserts of Zi, readers! Now you know that I have returned in truth, for only the Mithril Guardian could afflict her long-suffering followers with another post about an obscure mecha anime. Rejoice, for you are not following a hacked blog..!
Okay, enough with the hyperbolic preamble. I have seen a lot more Zoids posts here at WordPress, which tells me that the franchise has returned to public knowledge. So, although I am not a fan, it appears thanks are owed by this blogger to the writers who came up with the latest Zoids series. Kudos, Zoids: Wild. You brought interest back to our favorite planet in the far reaches of the Milky Way. The story is not what this author would consider entertaining, but at least it succeeded in renewing curiosity about the larger world of this mecha anime. I can be happy about that. 🙂
Today’s zoid is from the Guylos Empire. Known as the Helcat, this panther-style mechanical combat unit is “the ultimate stealth zoid.” The cockpit, naturally, is situated in the zoid’s head. The green band that wraps around its “face,” where its mouth should be, is the visible part of the canopy. Once inside, the electrical imaging device in the cockpit will activate, giving the pilot a green tinged one-hundred-eighty degree view of the field.
A typical Helcat’s armaments belie its deadly potential. Normally, the Helcat’s only weapons are a small, double-barreled cannon on its back and a mini gun of some kind between its forelegs. There are is another, lighter type of gun attached to each of its shoulders and hips occasionally, but too many more weapons would weigh the zoid down and increase its noise output. With light armor, weapons, and speed, the Helcat is a combat unit that can fire quickly before ducking back into the shadows to escape larger zoids.
The zoid has other assets, though, and they are like no other. Equipped with a cloaking device known as an optical stealth unit, the Helcat can easily blend in with its surroundings. The zoid can also erase most of its own footprints and reduce its heat signature significantly. It also has muffled joints which make it hard to track by sound.
Combined with its cloak of invisibility, these devices make the Helcat almost undetectable. The muzzle flashes from its cannon do not give away its position reliably, since the pilot can move across the battlefield with relative impunity due to being largely invisible to the naked eye. And since Hel Cats are always deployed in groups, there are often several muzzle flashes appearing across the combat zone. Choosing one and hitting it is nearly impossible for an opposing pilot, even when he chances to spot the Cat’s outline against the background scenery.
This is one zoid that can give the best of pilots a hard time. Unless the Helcat’s cloaking device shorts out, or the opposing pilot sees the zoid’s outline against the terrain and keeps it in sight long enough to attack, it is impossible to track and hit this mechanical panther. If the Empire or a particular pilot enjoys the elements of surprise and bewilderment, this is the zoid for them.
Of course, the Helcats do have their vulnerabilities. Aside from the potential malfunctions with the optical stealth unit, a pilot in Zoids: Chaotic Century developed a handy technique to deal with the Cat. By using a computer to track the acoustic signals – i.e. the sounds Helcats cannot help but make, even with their muffled joints – he was able to pinpoint the position of every Cat on the field.
Also, the Cat’s speed and agility do not protect it from larger, faster zoids’ head on charges or higher caliber weapons. The Helcat is designed to bewilder and surprise an enemy, not beat it in a competition of speed and skill. There is a reason they are often deployed in large numbers, after all; a battalion of cloaked Helcats stands a much better chance of taking down opponent(s) than a single or small group does. Unless their target is totally unprepared, has no military training, or a zoid with even lighter armor, the Helcat will not stand a chance against him in a direct confrontation.
Still, despite these restrictions, the Helcat is an extremely versatile zoid. For a pilot who fights by relying on deception by fooling his target’s eyes, this Imperial mechanical combat unit is his best choice, bar none. Though eclipsed by the Shadow Fox in New Century Zero and rendered unimpressive by the technology in Zoids: Fuzors, in Chaotic Century no other stealth unit on Zi can compete with the Helcat.
That’s not to say that the Helcat is indefatigable. While Chaotic Century gave the zoid one of its best showings, it didn’t provide viewers with a demonstration of what the Helcat could really do. Most Helcats arrived on the scene only to be dispatched relatively quickly, which is a shame. I would like to see what a Helcat was truly capable of in the right hands.
Teevrol and his pilot, Niccolo
Usually, the Helcat is painted red and black, the preferred colors of the Imperial Army. There have been other color choices, however. One Helcat in Chaotic Century was a white/grey/powder blue named Teevrol, who could move about on his own, though he was too attached to his young pilot to leave him. In Zoids: Fuzors, a black Helcat appeared, but it was defeated quickly in both episodes where it showed up.
All in all, the Helcat is not a zoid to shun. With its optical stealth unit, muffled joints, and ease at avoiding detection, it really is the cream of the stealth zoid crop. And while it never got to show its true colors on screen, it is still a mechanical combat unit I would sincerely like to pilot.
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![Thundercats [Animales fuera de serie] – PixFans](http://img.pixfans.com/2011/02/thunderkittens.jpg)
Thoughts on the Edge of Forever 